8 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (16 Feb)

7. Fly-Swatting 101

Wardlow MAx Caster
AEW

Max Caster vs. Wardlow was spot on, with the big man swatting his Acclaimed opponent like a fly after he and Anthony Bowens had spent the short bout buzzing annoyingly around his head, only to meet their end.

The Acclaimed were annoyances more than anything else. Rapping on "overrated" Nashville hot chicken, the Tennessee Titans' NFL playoff ineptitude, and Wardlow being MJF's "bitch boy" during his intro, Caster was evasive, relying heavily on Bowens to open advantageous windows. Wardlow slammed them shut almost instantaneously, however, constantly downing Caster with big power moves, kicking out of an ill-gotten Mic Drop, and scoring the win via Symphony.

The Powerbombs were more over last night than ever before. That's a great sign as Wardlow continues his march towards the TNT Championship. Beyond that, Shawn Spears not getting involved until both Acclaimed members were downed after the bell was a nice touch and while not an outright squash, Wardlow was suitably dominant. Caster shouldn't be giving him trouble beyond Bowens' interferences, and he didn't.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.